The 360 | Japanese whaling: Cultural or cruel?
Speed readWhat's happening: Japanese ships resumed hunting whales in waters off the nation's coast Monday, ending a 31-year ban on commercial whaling. The country's whalers expect to kill hundreds of whales before the end of the year. Japan is resuming the practice after leaving the International Whaling Commission, an organization aimed at conserving global whale populations.
In recent years, Japanese ships had been hunting whales in protected waters near Antarctica. Japan officially considered those kills part of scientific research, although the meat from the animals was later sold for food. These hunts are expected to stop now that whaling in Japanese waters has restarted.
Why there's debate: Critics of whaling say it's an outdated, cruel practice that is no longer acceptable amid the increasing threat sea creatures face from pollution, climate change and overfishing. They also say there is little market for the meat in modern Japan, and the government is wasting millions in subsidies to prop up a dying industry.
Defenders say whaling is an important part of Japan's culture with a long history that people from other nations don't fully understand. There are also some conservationists who believe the move could actually be good for whales. They believe local hunts will be more controlled and less likely to lead to overfishing than the hunts in the Antarctic.
What's next: Two minke whales were caught on the first day of hunting. The meat sold at "celebration prices" that were several times the typical rate. Whether that enthusiasm will last remains to be seen. Some experts believe the move to open hunts in Japanese waters may be a step toward the end of whaling in the country, since the industry may prove not to be economically viable."This could be good news for minkes.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump admin rolls out latest cruel tactic against immigrantsRachel Maddow reviews the Trump administration's systematic cruelty against immigrants to stoke outrage and rally his base, and reports details of the latest plan, to remove in-person interpreters from immigrants' first court hearings.
Read more »
13 American Cultural Leaders on What July 4th Means to Them'The 4th of July to me, is more like the 400th lie that's been told to me. Yet fireworks go off, we get our best outfits, cook, and drink the night away. It's a complicated day.'
Read more »
With Its Emphasis on Inclusivity, the 'Sports Illustrated' Swimsuit Issue Has Evolved With the Cultural ClimateWith its emphasis on inclusivity, the SInow swimsuit issue has evolved with the cultural climate:
Read more »
Even poop is cute at Japanese museum that encourages playYOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — Japan's culture of cute makes no exceptions for poop. It gets a pop twist at the Unko Museum in Yokohama near Tokyo. Here, the poop is artificial, nothing like what...
Read more »
Japanese people need to put more aside for retirementBut they are loth to take greater risks in search for higher returns
Read more »